Netflix Declines Acquisition of 2024 Film Due to Quality Concerns

The creators of one of the most overlooked cinematic failures of 2024 approached Netflix with an offer to stream their film, but the platform declined their proposal.

This year has proven to be quite unusual at the box office. With blockbuster hits like Inside Out 2, which has accrued $1.69 billion, and Deadpool & Wolverine, pulling in $1.3 billion, it’s notable that no other film has surpassed the billion-dollar mark, with Wicked being the next potential contender.

On the flip side, there have been remarkable flops: Borderlands grossed $32 million globally against its hefty $110 million budget, Kevin Costner’s Horizon Chapter 1 barely scraped together $38 million, and Megalopolis tragically earned only $12.2 million.

Another film that might have faded from your recollection is Harold and the Purple Crayon, an adaptation featuring Zachary Levi based on the beloved children’s book. Despite a budget of $40 million, it managed to make only $29.2 million – a loss, though not as severe as that of Joker 2.

Sony attempted to pitch ‘HAROLD & THE PURPLE CRAYON’ to Netflix, but the streaming giant wasn’t interested. (via https://t.co/rOl8GKRAf1) pic.twitter.com/a1q4sbO5xA

— One Take 🎬 (@OneTakeNews) October 21, 2024

The film had a brief theater run in August, disappearing just as swiftly as it arrived. Reports from Bloomberg indicate that Sony was considering selling it to Netflix.

According to the outlet, “Sony executives were fine with the movie, but they were concerned about its chances against major animated competitors like Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4.”

This perspective is somewhat generous, as Harold and the Purple Crayon failed to resonate with critics, earning a low 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. Conversely, it does boast an impressive 92% audience score, although some reviews raise eyebrows—one viewer proclaimed it “life-changing,” while another dubbed it “Peak cinema.”

Netflix opted against acquiring it because, as they noted, “studios’ leftovers don’t align with our new strategy,” which emphasizes the production of high-quality films aimed at transforming viewers’ perceptions of the platform.

“You know your film is in trouble when Netflix turns it down,” one user humorously observed. “I thought Netflix was all about the subpar content?” questioned another. “Just how bad does a movie have to be for Netflix to not want it?” a third user joked.

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